Some Facts about Arecanut

Arecanut is grown in India, under varied conditions of soil, climate and altitude and it is needless to say that its agriculture is also carried out in diversified methods and practices. Hence it is difficult to generalise on the method of cultivation of the crop. But it is the duty of scientific workers, especially at this hour, when maximum production per unit of labour and soil is aimed at, to find out the best and most economic method of cultivation of this crop. The attempts made at the Arecanut Research Station at Vittal of South Kanara along the above lines are described in this paper. The Arecanut Research Station at Vittal comprises 475 acres of garden taken on lease and has the conditions of semi-malnad parts of South Kanara. The work of the station is primarily on the pathological aspects of the areca palms but work was also carried out, side by side, on other lines such as agronomical and certain fundamental facts also. The age of the garden is about 34 years.